Practical application of super heavy tank

[Kovax]

"The majority of responses did not address what would be the function of a super heavy tank formation."

I'm sorry, but I didn't fully comprehend the intention of the OP in this regard. Clearly, the function of a super heavy tank formation would be as a psychological weapon ("Mine is bigger than yours!"), and any employment on the actual battlefield would probably be detrimental to that, as it would quickly demonstrate the impracticality of it as an actual physical weapon. Assigning individual tanks, or pairs, to "guard" the central squares of several major cities would be the most effective way of utilizing them, as it would maximize their public exposure, without putting them at risk of getting into a real combat situation.

 

[demanvanwezel]

I disagree. Yes, there were some who gave a proper answer, but also many many users who ignored the entire premise of the topic. The answer to the question "what do you do with these things if you have them?" is not "they are too expensive". All those who pointed at production costs and all that stuff didn't answer the question at all. The fact that some people gave a proper answer doesn't change that many others didn't. As such, any comment aimed against those answers is perfectly valid.

That doesn't cover the bits were people were just throwing weird ideas around for the fun of it.

their proper function also hinges on your ability to replace them, with unlimited production facilities then you might just as well use them in phalanx formation advancing upon the enemy along the entire front

 

[keynes2.0]

Note that in tank you don`t have to worry about drag forces, so unlike the pencil shaped water battleships, land battleships can have whatever shape they like.

The protection and mechanics of the ship matter depend on the shape.

 

[bz249]

The protection and mechanics of the ship matter depend on the shape.

That is the point, since you are not limited by the hydrodynamics you can experiment with other ship shapes and other protection schemes
It is entirely possible that a block with circular guns is the best option.

 

[keynes2.0]

It is entirely possible that a block with circular guns is the best option.

Star fort on treds when?

 

[Avernite]

This assumes

• a clear field of fire for direct-fire mode.
• or working with forward observers in an indirect-fire mode.

In a game such as HoI4, a superheavy tank would likely get bonuses for fighting where there is a good line of sight, such as in

• deserts,
• marshes,
• plains, and
• perhaps hills (height advantage, thus increasing the field of fire).

Also, there'd be a bonus against fortifications.

Marshes would seem terrible places for superheavy tanks - Allied tanks fighting during barely-marshy Market Garden couldn't easily get off-road to avoid obstacles because the road was the only way they could move properly (and the Königstigers fighting them didn't do much different, but were mostly fighting in/around cities rather than marshes, or defending). Superheavy tanks on marsh roads would probably sink the entire road, but would certainly be unable to move or even stand outside the road (unless you accept flooding).

 

[Graf Zeppelin]

That secondary battery arrangement is wildly impractical and anachronistic.

Lmao

 

[HuzzButt]

Super heavy tanks in use limited to Fell with the in this thread stated gun range of +20km is something I would think would be the natural consequence of a protracted war in a Fell region.

 

[billcorr]

Super heavy tanks in use limited to Fell

"Fell"

Had to look that one up.

Well, you learn something new every day!

 

[Fishman786]

The best practical application of a super-heavy tank would be to take it apart, send the guns and armour plates back to the navy where they rightfully belong, and then drop the rest right on top of whichever nincompoop thought this was a good idea in the first place.

Super heavy tanks in use limited to Fell with the in this thread stated gun range of +20km is something I would think would be the natural consequence of a protracted war in a Fell region.

Of course, moving the tanks around in the fells would be a tricky task. Imagine getting one of those along a country road or up a hill.

 

[JodelDiplom]

Super heavy tanks in use limited to Fell with the in this thread stated gun range of +20km is something I would think would be the natural consequence of a protracted war in a Fell region.

You know you can just have the gun on a simple carriage, have it pulled across the hills by a tractor and the ammunition and crew on a bunch of other tractors and use that instead.

Would be literally 100x cheaper, 10x more mobile and 1000x more practical than using a stupid giant 100 ton tank that won't be able to climb a hill without rupturing a tread or causing the whole hillside to collapse into a landslide.

 

[Andre Bolkonsky]

Star fort on treds when?

When hover technology allows them to fly to where you want to drop them; introducting the FleiderRatte!

Of course, moving the tanks around in the fells would be a tricky task. Imagine getting one of those along a country road or up a hill.

In the rain . . . Or the mud . . . Or ice.

 

[Mder1]

I think I figured it out now. First you produce a few of these super heavy tanks and send them to the front, so the enemy can get some experience with them. Soon they figure out, while annoying, they can handle them pretty well with air strikes, artillery or whatever.. But now you cease to produce them and instead produce a lot of dummy versions (cheapest engine you can possible build + cheapest steal for the hull + drivers from punitive units) of the tanks and send them to the front. Now they are wasting their resources on them till they figure out that they are dummies!

 

[Andre Bolkonsky]

I think I figured it out now. First you produce a few of these super heavy tanks and send them to the front, so the enemy can get some experience with them. Soon they figure out, while annoying, they can handle them pretty well with air strikes, artillery or whatever.. But now you cease to produce them and instead produce a lot of dummy versions (cheapest engine you can possible build + cheapest steal for the hull + drivers from punitive units) of the tanks and send them to the front. Now they are wasting their resources on them till they figure out that they are dummies!

Potemkin's Mice!

I like it.

 

[newtlord]

Q: What are the uses of a super-heavy tank?

A: Compensation, mostly.


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EDIT: On rereading the thread, I noticed that we are hypothesizing that these super-heavy tanks are being provided for free and in unlimited numbers. This makes them far more useful. Using them to build the Maginot Line has been mentioned; disassembling them for steel would be far cheaper than mining and smelting it. The truly cunning general designs them using parts interchangeable with smaller fighting vehicles, then, upon receiving an arbitrarily large number of Mice, takes them apart and builds actually useful vehicles from the pieces.

 

[gagenater]

I think I figured it out now. First you produce a few of these super heavy tanks and send them to the front, so the enemy can get some experience with them. Soon they figure out, while annoying, they can handle them pretty well with air strikes, artillery or whatever.. But now you cease to produce them and instead produce a lot of dummy versions (cheapest engine you can possible build + cheapest steal for the hull + drivers from punitive units) of the tanks and send them to the front. Now they are wasting their resources on them till they figure out that they are dummies!

You know that might be brilliant actually. Then after using only dummies for a while, and the enemy get's 'used' to ignoring them, throw some real ones back in the mix. In many circumstances dummies aren't worth the effort of making them (just make real ones instead) but this is a situation where it might pay off.

 

[Fishman786]

You know that might be brilliant actually. Then after using only dummies for a while, and the enemy get's 'used' to ignoring them, throw some real ones back in the mix. In many circumstances dummies aren't worth the effort of making them (just make real ones instead) but this is a situation where it might pay off.

Why not go even further and deploy whole dummy divisions and brigades? The Allies used a similar strategy for their invasion of Calais, but perhaps it could be used on a wider scale as an asymmetrical warfare method. A weaker force might be able to use wooden rifles and inflatable/mockup vehicles manned by conscript militia Iranian-style to perform diversionary attacks and lull the enemy into a false sense of security.

 

[keynes2.0]

A dummy would probably be a lot more mobile too. A fake 200 ton tank would probably only weigh 10 tons or so.

 

[Fishman786]

A dummy would probably be a lot more mobile too. A fake 200 ton tank would probably only weigh 10 tons or so.

The trouble is that since super-heavy tanks are very likely to be dummies (utterly impractical, difficult to produce) it might be better to mainly make dummies of main battle tanks or medium tanks. Those could be deployed in believably-large numbers in order to force the enemy to divert their strength to counter them. Dummy artillery positions obviously have a long history, but lighter dummy weapons could also be useful. Dummy MANPADs, dummy AT weapons, dummy RPGs. Dummy soldiers with dummy rifles, conscripts or penal infantry wearing faux-elite gear. Of course it would become clear to the enemy that this is all just smoke and mirrors when the dummy weapons don't fire, but if they were mixed in with real equipment this would leave the enemy unable to tell the difference right up to the point of contact.

 

[Mder1]

A dummy would probably be a lot more mobile too. A fake 200 ton tank would probably only weigh 10 tons or so.

You would've to instruct the drivers to compensate the lacking tones by driving very slowly and stopping rather often to simulate the expected down brakes of the tank. To the lengthen the duration of the disguise you may need to feed some intel to the enemy that suggests the reason why the blow up so easily once they are struck is because of bad steel and or other production faults.

The trouble is that since super-heavy tanks are very likely to be dummies (utterly impractical, difficult to produce) it might be better to mainly make dummies of main battle tanks or medium tanks.

Let's say 10% of the super heavy tanks aren't actually dummies and you as the commander of the enemy forces advancing are aware of that fact. Would you take the chance of running into one or just request some artillery or air support to make sure it will cease to be a threat to your advance? What I fear is that just ordering some recon to fire on it and then wait and see what happens might be a cheap and simple solution to determine if it is in fact a real one or not: "Sir, our 30mm gun just shot right through it at 1800 yards. This a bean can, just ignore it."